Season Ten
by HeKaLyAn
Summary: Like many others, I did not like the finale. Did not like the plot regression, did not like the character regression. Most importantly, I did not like the rushed manner. What should have happened in one season happened in one episode. This is my attempt to see how things would be, if 2013-2030 occurred over a season. Thus I present to you... Season Ten!
1. New Beginnings

**Future Ted: **Kids, when Uncle Barney and Aunt Robin got married, I thought that my love life was officially over. Which is why I decided to move to Chicago and focus on my career. Even as I was sitting at the reception, watching the happy couple dance _(flash to Barney and Robin waltzing to their wedding song)_, all I could feel was a bleak and lonely life waiting for me. Thank God I met your mother right afterwards _(flash to Ted watching Tracy play the bass, and then to her arriving at Farhampton station with the yellow umbrella)_. Because without this lovely woman, I would have never made it to where I am today. But first let's see what happened the day after the wedding, shall we?

* * *

THE DAY AFTER THE WEDDING

_(Marshall and Lily are sitting on the couch in their apartment, amid packed boxes and luggage. Arms around one another, with nostalgic expressions.)_

**Lily: **I cannot believe the gang is drifting apart.

**Marshall: **Yeah, Barney and Robin are in Belize, honeymooning for God knows how long, Ted is already in Chicago, and in two days we will be flying to Rome.

**Lily** _(beginning to cry) _: Marshall, I'm scared.

**Marshall: **Me too.

_(The couple sit in sad silence for about half a minute. The doorbell rings. When Lily and Marshall open the door, they stand stunned. Because standing in front of them is Ted, a brilliant beam on his face)._

OPENING CREDITS

_(All three are seated inside the apartment.)_

**Marshall: **What the HELL are you doing here!?

**Ted** _(excitedly) _: You won't believe it, I met this girl at the station yesterday -

**Lily: **Youuuuu sonofabeech!

**Marshall: **Ted, are you CRAZY? No, I'm serious. Haven't you done this thing enough? Aren't you tired of it? You always start big, move fast, and when it ends, you get hurt double. Haven't you learn't anything else at all the past eight years?

**Lily: **Yeah, who IS this person?

**Ted: **You know the bass player?

**Lily** _(initially delighted) _:Oooh, she's great! _(Now seriously) _But Ted, is she really worth giving up a whole new life?

**Ted: **Lily, this girl is sweet, funny, plays the bass, and guess what? The yellow umbrella is hers!

**Marshall and Lily: **What yellow umbrella?

**Ted **_(stumped) _: The yellow umbrella I've been carrying out all my life!

**Lily **_(shrugs) _: I have no clue what you're talking about.

**Marshall: **Yeah, Ted, you know we never notice these things. That's because we're too busy having SEX. _(High-fives Lily)._

**Ted: **Anyway, I'm sure this girl is my destiny. Which is why I'm gonna call her and ask her on a date. _(Takes out his phone)._

**Marshall and Lily** _(horrified) _: NOOOOOOOO!

**Marshall: **Ted, you can't. The three day rule, Ted, the three day rule!

**Lily: **If you call her now, she'll just think you're needy and desperate. Which you ARE!

**Ted: **Too late, I already dialled her number!

_(Lily and Marshall both pounce on him, trying to grab his phone.)_

**Ted:** BACK OFFFFFFFFFF! _(Marshall and Lily are shocked into silence) _Seriously, what is WRONG with you people? Have I EVER interfered in any decision you two make?

**Lily: **Ummmmmmm.

OCTOBER 2012

_(In the apartment.)_

**Lily** _(to Marshall)_: Baby, I would LOVE to go out for dinner with just you, but we need to find a really reliable baby-sitter for Marvin.

**Ted: **Me! Me! Me! Me!

**Lily: **NO. We do NOT want you to do another round of firsts with Marvin. You already took him to see Santa.

**Marshall: **Yeah! Lilypad, what about that girl upstairs? She's going to start college, really responsible, and seems nice.

**Lily: **Annie? Ooooh, she's great! I'll ask her right now! _(picks up phone, when Ted tackles her.)_

**Ted: **NOOOOO! I finished college, really responsible, and am really nice. I am the right choice for Marvin. You should not hire some girl you don't even know!

**Marshall:** BACK OFFFFFFFFFF! Ted, we're Marvin's parents! We know best!

**Ted **_(ominously) _: Oh, really? All right. But Marshall Eriksen, you'll regret this.

PRESENT

**Ted: **Okay... Maybe I was a bit overbearing... But that's only because I was worried about you guys! Even when that baby-sitter decision blew up in your face, did I stick my nose? No. I was simply the supportive friend I always am.

**Marshall:** Ummmmmmm.

OCTOBER 2012

**Lily** _(looking at the TV screen) _: Oh my God, I can't believe that Annie is a convicted kidnapper!

**Marshall: **Yeah, thank Heavens we cancelled out in the last minute.

**Ted: **I told you so!I told you so!I told you so!I told you so! _(jumps up and down)._

PRESENT

**Lily: **Okay, Ted, we'll let you be. We'll let you call this bass player. If this works out, _(smiles affectionately) _nobody will be happier than us. But if it does bomb, _(becomes threatening) _we will not be beneath -

_(Lily shares a look with Marshall. She and Marshall start jumping up and down.)_

**Together:** I told you so! I told you so! I told you so! I told you so!

* * *

**Future Ted: **Meanwhile, Robin and Barney were on their honeymoon in Belize. After an adventurous morning of para sailing, jet skiing and snorkeling, they decided to rest on the warm shores of Honey Camp Lagoon.

**Barney: **That was legendary. I TOLD you I'm a pro at water sports.

**Robin: **Is that why you kept screaming, "Sweet Lord, saviour of my life, forgive me for my sins!"?

**Barney: **Ugh, this beach is so HOT!

**Robin: **You're wearing a SUIT. In a BEACH. Why can't you wear swim shorts like everybody else?

**Barney: **Robin, Robin. You know I'm not anybody else. Barney's ALWAYS suited up. Unless he's having hot, hot sex. What up! (_High-fives Robin)._

**Robin: **Speaking of hot, hot sex, do you realize we haven't had any since our moment as man and wife?

**Barney** _(gasps loudly) _:You're right! NOOOOO, marriage, what have you done to Barney?

**Robin: **Relax. All the more reason to make TODAY memorable. Our first marriage-sex will be something legendary.

**Barney: **I LOVE it when you say legendary! All right, we will have sex right now. First marriage-sex on a beach!

**Robin: **Legendary!

_(They begin to kiss, but Robin stops mid-way)_.

**Robin: **Uh, Barney.

**Barney: **Mmmm. What. _(Leans to kiss her, but Robin stops him.)_

**Robin: **Remember we had sex in Farhampton Beach?

**Barney** _(recollecting) _: Oh right! Damn it, now having first marriage sex on a beach doesn't seem that legendary now.

**Robin: **Yeah... _(silence) _so what? We can find other ways to make it legendary!

**Barney: **Challenge... Accepted!

**Future Ted: **And so they went around their mission to make it legendary. But no matter what they tried -

IN A BOAT:

_(They begin to kiss, but Barney stops mid-way)_.

**Barney:** Remember our boating trip around Manhattan?

**Robin: **Damn it!

ON A CLIFF:

_(They begin to kiss, but Robin stops mid-way)_.

**Robin:** Remember that cliff in Ocala?

**Barney: **Damn it!

IN A LIGHTHOUSE:

_(They begin to kiss, but Barney stops mid-way)_.

**Barney:** Remember Farhampton Lighthouse?

**Robin: **Damn it! _(silence) _Can you believe it? We've been married for just a day, and we can already do nothing new with our sex lives!

**Barney: **I'm HUNGRY! _(Begins to cry)._

* * *

TWO DAYS LATER

_(New York, at MacLarens. Marshall, Lily, Robin and Barney are seated in their usual table. Barney's hair is in cornrows.)_

**Lily: **I'm so glad we can be together for one last time before we leave...

**Marshall: **Yeah, it's great you two bailed on your honeymoon for us.

**Robin** _(shrugs) _: We can always go back to our honeymoon. But you guys... it will be a whole year before we see you!

**Barney**:And Lily's boobs. Do you EVER think about me? A whole year of pregnant boobies, and somewhere like, like, VIENNA -

**Robin: **Rome.

**Barney: **Yeah, yeah, whatever. But remember, you owe me.

**Marshall: **We'll send you pictures. Ow! There's no need to kick me, Lily. Ow! There's no need to kick me, Robin.

_(Enter Ted.)_

**Marshall:** Hey, look who's there!

_(Robin and Barney get up and hug Ted.)_

**Lily: **How did your first date go!?

**Ted: **Fantastic! You won't believe it -

**Robin **_(interrupting): _I'm going to get the next round. Ted, coming with me?

**Ted: **Yeah, sure.

_(At the counter.)_

**Robin: **So mister, what is this all about, you quitting your job over a girl?

**Ted: **Robin, this girl is fantastic. We have so many things in common. Do you know she is the actual owner of the yellow umbrella?

**Robin: **What yellow umbrella?

**Ted: **Why does nobody remember the yellow umbrella?

**Robin: **Anyway, that's beside the problem. Ted, you always rush into these things. Remember our first date? _(puts on a dopey voice, imitating Ted.) _"I think I'm in love with you."

**Ted: **Robin, I think I've matured a lot since that.

**Robin: **Oh yeah, what did you do today?

**Ted: **Uh, for starters, we had our first kiss -

**Robin **_(__swats his head) _This is the exact thing I'm worried about, Ted! I see you get hurt too many times that -

**Ted: **Robin, will you relax? Will you hear out the whole thing?

* * *

2 HOURS AGO

_(Outside Tracy's apartment, after their date.)_

**Tracy: **Goodnight... (_She kisses Ted.) _Unless... you want to walk around some more? It's still early.

**Ted: **Sure. _(But doesn't move.)_

**Tracy: **What are you doing?

**Ted: **Remembering this.

**Tracy** _(offers her hand) _Come on.

_(They start walking and eventually reach a small park, which is virtually deserted.)_

**Ted:** This is really great. You're the first person I've had this much fun with in days.

**Tracy: **Ted, I really like you.

**Ted: **Me too. I mean, I don't mean I like ME, I mean to say I like YOU, I mean, well, you know what I mean.

**Tracy **_(laughs) _: I think I do. What I meant to ask is, was it weird I kissed you on our first date?

**Ted: **Nope. Not at all. Believe me, I've done worse on first dates. And your kiss _(holds her hands), _it felt to me the most real thing I've ever experienced.

_(They kiss again)_

**Tracy: **I'd really like to go on another date with you. You know, to just... let things go as they have to go.

**Ted: **To not force things to happen... before they need to happen.

**Tracy: **To work things out where they should be worked out...

**Ted: **And to leave the rest to the universe.

_(Silence.)_

**Tracy and Ted** _(same time)_:Profound! _(They high-five.)_

_(And they continue to enjoy their little night-time stroll.)_

* * *

**Ted: **... so we are taking things forward, and we are giving it our best shot. She may, or may not be the one. But I don't care for the future right now. Because right now, I'm just going to enjoy the moments with her.

**Robin: **Wow. _(Hugs Ted) _Ted Mosby, I really do hope you have wonderful moments with her.

_(They return to the table, where Marshall, Lily and Barney are sitting.)_

**Lily: **So... did you finally find someplace legendary for your first marriage-sex?

**Marshall: **Do you girls have no boundaries?

**Barney **_(shrugs) _: We got hungry, so we gave up trying and went back to our hotel for dinner...

* * *

**Robin** _(shoveling down food) _: You know, this is actually fun. I never realized talking over dinner could be this fun.

**Barney: **Yeah, we haven't had a peaceful, just-food dinner, since forever.

_(They stare at each other, and then high-five.)_

**Robin: **So, what do you think the others are doing?

**Barney: **Hmm. Lily and Marshall will be crying about moving to Italy. Ted will be in Chicago, trying to find his "one". (_makes sarcastic air quotes.)_

**Robin: **Nah, I don't think so. I think he would have met somebody at the wedding, and would have done some big, romantic gesture for her already.

**Barney: **Wrong. He would still be finding.

**Robin: **Wrong. He would have found.

**Barney: **What bet? _(narrows eyes sinisterly)._

* * *

**Ted** _(at the bar) _: Why does EVERYBODY bet on my love life?

* * *

**Robin: **Hmm. If you're right, I would be willing... to wear my hair in a mohawk for one whole year.

**Barney: **And if YOU'RE right, I would be willing to wear my hair in cornrows for one whole year.

**Robin and Barney **_(together) _: A gentleman's agreement! _(Shake hands)._

* * *

**Ted: **Again. Why does everybody bet on my love life?

**Lily: **So you two did not have SEX on your honeymoon? _(looks horrified.)_

**Barney: **Oh please!

**Robin: **We were really tired. So we went back to our bedroom and just had non-kinky sex. And it was...

**Barney: **Sex-endary.

**Marshall: **I can't believe I'd say this, but _(sobs) _that made me cry.

* * *

**Future Ted: **Marshall was right. While none of actually cried, we were left... inspired. When I looked at Robin that day, I did not see a girl I once loved and lost, but a symbol for a new love. New moments. And more importantly, a beautiful preface for new beginnings.


	2. The Girl Meets the Gang (Again)

_(Pleasant evening time. Ted and Tracy are walking to MacLarens.)_

**Tracy: **So what are your friends like? I can't wait to meet them.

**Ted: **Oh, they are the best people in the world. And, quite possibly, the worst.

**Tracy: **Ah. They sound absolutely worth it to take an evening off from assignments.

**Ted: **They're totally worth it.

_(They enter the bar.)_

**Ted **_(points to his regular table) _: That's them.

**Tracy **_(stunned) _: Whoa! JUST those four? Like, those four people are the only ones you're the closest with?

**Ted: **Uh... yeah... Crap, what's wrong? What did they do?

**Tracy **_(laughs) _: No, no, absolutely nothing. It's just that I've met EVERY SINGLE ONE of them!

**Ted: **Uh-oh... They must have definitely done something. What did they do?

**Tracy: **Hmmm. One tried to pick me up in a drugstore. One tried to bite me in a train. One was positive that I'm a serial killer. And one got to feel my boobs.

**Ted: **Wow. That's them at their best. Wait, Barney touched your boobs?

_(They reach the table.)_

**Ted** _(pompously) _:Guys, I believe you have already met -

**Marshall, Lily, Robin and Barney **_(together, with great delight) _: TRACY!

_(They get up to hug Tracy and begin chatting, sidelining Ted completely.)_

**Ted** _(grumbling_ _to himself) _:Yeah, I exist too.

OPENING CREDITS

**Lily: **So, Tracy, have you lived in New York all your life?

**Tracy: **No, I was born and brought up in New Jersey. _(doesn't notice that everybody else's eyes go frog-wide.) _I moved to New York in my junior year because my Dad got a transfer. I've been living here since.

**Barney: **If that's the case, you can be excused as a New Yorker.

**Robin: **And YOU can shut up, husband of mine. What about your friends, Tracy?

**Tracy: **Well, both my roommates moved out, and I'm only in touch with them on phone. And I have my totally lame, cool bandmates, though I meet them only every other weekend.

**Marshall: **And then, you have us.

**Barney: **Yeaaaaaah. Because even though you're dorky, you can't be as dorky as Ted.

* * *

2016

**Barney: **Ughh. You're a WORSE dork than Ted!

**Tracy **_(shrugs.)_: High time you realized.

* * *

BACK TO THE PRESENT

**Lily: **Well, I agree with Marshall. We would LOVE it if you join the gang.

**Barney: **And trust me, we are so cool, you would be SO grateful for our friendships.

**Robin: **Okay, you can seriously zip it, partner for life.

**Tracy: **I'm pretty sure Barney would be grateful for my friendship too. _(chuckles.) _I would love to join your gang.

**All six **_(raising their glasses)_: The gang!

OPENING CREDITS

(yes, again, except this time Tracy is included in the photo-montage with the other five)

**Future Ted: **That night, Robin and Barney threw their first party as a married couple: a farewell party for Lily and Marshall, who were leaving for Italy early the next morning. And for the first time in many, many days, I had a date for a party.

_(At Robin and Barney's apartment. Amid music, dancing and chatter.)_

**Ted** _(shouting over the ruckus)_:I'M SO GLAD YOU DECIDED TO COME, AFTER ALL.

**Tracy **_(also shouting)_: YEAH, IT WAS EITHER THIS OR A 5000-WORD ESSAY.

**Ted: **DO YOU MIND IF I GO AND TALK TO MARSHALL FOR A WHILE?

**Tracy: **NOT AT ALL! _(walks over to where Lily and Robin and standing.) _HI LILY! HI ROBIN!

**Lily: **Will you relax? The music is quite soft here!

**Tracy: **Really? My right ear is almost deaf, so I didn't notice. Hey, you brought Marvin here!

**Lily: **Yeah, it's my last night in America, I'm not going to plop him to some baby-sitter!

**Robin: **It's amazing how this little bastard can sleep through all the noise.

**Lily: **He's my son. He has the constitution of steel. _(Places punch glass on the table with a clink. Marvin begins to cry.)_

* * *

**Ted: **Awesome party, bro!

**Barney: **Hffff. My parties are ALWAYS awesome. C'mon, now, give me a REAL compliment. Now. Now.

**Ted: **Attention whore?

**Marshall: **Barney, I LOVE this party. Aaah, I see hors d'oeuvres. And mmmm, Greek lamb! And ooh la la, do I spy chocolate truffle? Oh, the glory of this whole wide world! _(scampers away.)_

**Barney: **Theodore Evelyn Mosby, I demand it. Give. Me. A. Proper. Compliment.

**Ted: **No. I. Won't. D'ya know why? 'Cause you may have thrown Marshall an awesome party, but I'm giving him an awesome farewell gift!

**Barney **_(snickers): _Oh puh-leeze. Nothing can beat this awesome party!

**Ted: **Yes, it can! Check it out! _(pulls out something from his pocket) _A custom-made Rolex with TWO watch faces, set to TWO time-zones: Eastern Time and Central European Time. Because when Mosby does it, he does it with style!

**Barney: **Pfft, lame!

**Ted: **Really, just wait and see. _(walks over to Marshall.) _Marshall, I wanted to wait till the end of the party, but I decided to do this right now. This is a farewell gift for you?

_(Marshall opens the package.)_

**Ted: **What do you think? What do you think? What do you think? What do you think?

**Marshall: **Oh, Ted, it is AWESOME!

**Ted: **More awesome than this party?

**Marshall: **Ummmm, yeah, kind of.

_(Ted sticks out his tongue at Barney.)_

**Barney **_(eyes narrowed)_: Challenge Accepted!

* * *

_(Meanwhile, Lily is trying to pacify a crying Marvin.)_

**Lily:** Oh c'mon, hush, hush, hush, hush.

**Robin: **Kinda hard to believe even that stupid lullaby didn't work.

**Lily: **That's because your stupid apartment doesn't have the proper instruments.

**Robin: **Or maybe he realized how stupid the song is.

_(Lily bursts out crying, syncing with her son.)_

**Tracy: **Now, now, the song isn't stupid. Robin, please tell her the song isn't stupid.

**Lily** _(sobbing)_:It's not that. I know the song isn't stupid. _(sobs harder.) _If I can't manage one crying baby, how am I going to manage two? That too, in a strange country.

**Tracy: **But you won't be alone. Marshall will be there with you. And I've seen him with little Marvin, he's damn responsible-

_(Cut to Marshall, who's stuffing his mouth with nachos. Cut back to Tracy.)_

**Tracy: **-and you're an awesome Mom yourself, you have nothing to worry about!

**Lily: **No, no, no, no, I can't even shut a crying baby up - shut UP, Marvin - I'm not an awesome Mom!

_(Tracy and Robin exchange helpless looks.)_

**Robin: **Oh, come on now, things can't be as bad as they seem.

**Lily: **What do YOU know? You've never been near a baby for even half a day, you're terrified of them!

**Tracy **_(laughs, surprised) _: Seriously, you don't like babies?

**Lily: **Yeah! Did you know that when she and Ted were dating, she refused to come near Ted for an entire day because he came back from a baby shower, and she thought she could smell evil baby spirits on him? _(laughs and cries at the same time.)_

**Tracy: **Wait a minute, Ted dated Robin?

* * *

**Future Ted: **While Mom was faced by this slightly perplexing problem, Barney and I were involved in this very serious competition of who could give Marshall a better farewell gift.

**Barney: **This is an original Stormtrooper helmet, not just made, but also autographed by the original maestro himself, Andrew Ainsworth!

**Marshall **_(excitedly)_: Oh, Barney, this is the MOST awesome present I've ever got!

_(Cut to)_

**Ted: **Here is the box from which we had our first ever pizza from Gazzola's! It even has the rat bite intact!

**Marshall **_(emotionally)_: Oh, Ted, this is the MOST awesome present I've EVER got!

_(Cut to)_

**Barney: **This is an original silk tie from from Charvet's, signed by the maestro himself, Barney Stintson!

**Marshall **_(bursting into a happy smile)_: Oh, Barney, this HAS to be the BEST present I've EVER got!

_(Cut to)_

**Ted: **Marshall, here is a lifetime supply of Tantrum, which they're going to stop producing from next month onward.

**Marshall** _(grinning with joy)_: Oh, Ted, I don't think ANY present that I've EVER got or I would EVER get could beat this!

* * *

**Tracy** _(standing with Robin in the balcony)_: I don't believe it... Ted dated you once, and you two are still friends?

**Robin: **Yeah... but does it really matter? It's all in the past!

**Tracy: **It does matter! Every time I'm with you guys, it will be so uncomfortable! I mean, you would be having SO MUCH history!

**Robin **_(laughs hysterically, the way she does when she lies.)_: History! Oh c'mon, there's no history! All that happened is eight years ago, Ted saw me in a bar, asked me on a date, said "I love you", I freaked out and said I'm not ready to date, but we began dating sometime later anyway, then broke up 'cause we wanted different things, then I moved in with him a couple of years later, became friends with benefits because we fought a lot, and then decided not to, had a pact that if we're both single at forty we'd get married, three years later he said "I love you" again, but I didn't love him, so I called off the pact, moved out, had a silent fight with him, but we made up, I got engaged and then married where he was my best man, the whole time he may or may not have been in love with me because he retrieved a priceless family heirloom for me. I swear, that's all that happened.

_(Tracy looks dumbfounded.)_

**Robin **_(sighs): _Okay, that was a crapload of history. But Tracy, there is absolutely nothing between us now. I can guarantee that he's over me, and is really, really into you. Ted Mosby is a gem of a guy, so please, please give him a chance to prove it to you.

**Tracy: **Robin, are you asking me to believe that after so much that's happened between you two, I should just ignore it completely?

**Robin: **Hmmm. Are YOU asking me to believe that it is absolutely impossible to move on to another person after letting go of a lost love?

_(Tracy looks stunned, unable to speak.)_

* * *

**Ted **_(solemnly)_: Marshall, Barney and I are jointly giving you this gift. _(Hands over a huge wrapped box to Marshall.)_

**Marshall **_(eagerly snatches from Ted's hands)_: Jointly huh? Didn't expect THAT. _(Unwraps it impatiently.) _Quite a big box... What's in it? Huh, just a scrap of paper?

**Barney: **Read it.

**Marshall: **"Marshall Eriksen is an evil bastard." What?!

**Ted: **Admit it, you evil bastard. You were playing us to get you more and more presents.

**Barney: **Yeah, we could see your Greedy Glint!

_(Cut back to all the times Marshall was receiving his present. On closer observation, you can see a creepy light across his eyes: his Greedy Glint.)_

**Ted: **Do you know I drove between my apartment and here FOUR times? Each time it took me forty-five minutes!

**Barney: **And I spent EIGHT thousand dollars. Robin's probably gonna kill me!

**Marshall: **HOW DARE - alright, I admit it. It was just - really flattering watching you two fight over me like that... Tomorrow this time, I'll be in a strange new place with just Lily. No bros to hang out with... I just thought I'd goad your love out of you while I could.

_(Silence, as this last minute together hangs over them.)_

**Marshall **_(awkwardly): _I got you farewell presents too.

_(Hands over one package to Ted, one to Barney. They open, and each find a wooden figurine.)_

**Marshall **_(proudly):_ I made them myself. Knew carpentry class would be useful one day. It's supposed to be you guys, get it?

**Ted and Barney: **OF COURSE we get it!

**Future Ted: **We didn't get it until Marshall told us. But it didn't matter that I looked like Pinocchio, or that Barney looked like Cyclops. Because when it came to presents, kids, it's always the thought that matters. And the fact that Marshall put so much effort into those ugly dolls mattered all the world to us.

* * *

_(Robin and Tracy are still in the balcony.)_

**Robin: **Tracy, are you alright? You look like somebody punched you... Did I say something?

**Tracy **_(startled out of her reverie): _No... absolutely not. You just... reminded me that however tough it is, sometimes history can be just that - dead. Thank you so, so much.

**Robin** _(relieved)_:Does that mean you're gonna have no problems with this whole Ted and me thing?

**Tracy **_(beginning to smile.)_: It means I'm gonna have no problems with anything at all that happened in the past.

_(They both smile at each other. Just then Lily comes in with Marvin.)_

**Robin: **Hey! How are you doing?

**Lily: **This sonofame has finally fallen asleep.

**Tracy: **So... do you feel more confident about being an awesome mom now?

_(Lily begins to cry)_

**Tracy: **Oh crap, I'm so sorry -

**Lily **_(sniffing): _No it's not that, When you were out, Marvin said his first sensible sentence. He said, "Mommy, don't cry." _(Cries even more.)_

_(Tracy and Robin gasp and engulf Lily in hugs, congratulating her.)_

**Future Ted: **And that's when Lily realized that how many ever difficult moments there are in being a parent, they were all worth it for those few precious seconds. That realization helped her with her pregnancy, all the way through raising her children. The next morning, or should I say, an hour later, we were all at the airport.

**Lily **_(grabbing the group in a hug)_: I'm gonna miss you guys so, so much!

**Ted: **The year will be gone before you know it.

**Marshall** _(who has baby Marvin strapped to him)_:Promise me you'll come visit us sometime. It will be fun, touring Italy together!

**Ted, Robin, Barney and Tracy: **We promise.

_(They all wave, as Lily and Marshall exit into the boarding gate. Then they watch out through a window until they can see the flight take off, up, up and above, until it disappears into the clouds.)_

* * *

_(At Ted's apartment, Ted and Tracy are seated.)_

**Tracy: **I suppose you feel kinda empty now, with your closest friends not being here.

**Ted: **It's kinda funny, because I thought I WOULD feel empty, but I don't. Besides, I can have all the fun I want with you. Without those bastards interfering.

_(Suddenly Tracy pulls Ted into a long, hard hug.)_

**Ted **_(surprised)_: Whoa! Was that hug supposed to mean something?

**Tracy: **Nope. _(smiles.) _I just... felt like it. So it's Friday night. You want to have a drink?

_(The whole night, they stay up, laughing, talking and having fun, until in the morning they end up sleeping in each other's arms.)_


End file.
